The invention relates to a hardtop vehicle roof with at least two rigid roof parts, which are movable between a closed position in which they cover the vehicle interior, and an open position, in which they are disposed in a storage compartment, and which, in the closed position, are disposed behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Each roof part includes an operating mechanism by which it is connected to the vehicle body and can be operated independently of the other roof part between the closed and the storage positions in which the roof parts are disposed on top of one another.
EP 0 835 779 A1 discloses a hardtop which consists of three parts that are movable between a closed position, in which they cover the interior space of a vehicle and are disposed one after the other in the longitudinal vehicle direction, and a storage position, in which the roof parts are deposited in a storage compartment behind the interior vehicle space. The roof parts are joined to one another and are connected to the vehicle body by an operating linkage, by which the roof parts are pivoted during the transfer from the closed to the storage position such that the rear roof part is deposited in the storage compartment upside down that is that the bottom side thereof points upwardly. The front part is pivoted by 180° below the intermediate roof part and the packet of intermediate and front roof parts is folded onto the rear roof part so that the lower side of the intermediate roof part and the lower side of the rear roof part face each other in the storage compartment.
This arrangement has the disadvantage that the opposite facing undersides of the front and intermediate roof parts and the intermediate and rear roof parts are engaged with each other with their side edges like shell parts because of their opposite curvatures. As a result, they enclose a relatively large interior space, which is not usable and increases the need for storage space particularly in vertical direction.
DE 196 35 536 C1 discloses a convertible vehicle whose vehicle roof can be in a cabriolet and in a Landaulet configuration. The vehicle roof is in the form of a two part hard top wherein the rear roof part is pivotable between a closed position and a storage position and the front roof part is movable independently of the rear roof part into the storage compartment by way of an operating linkage. Because of the rearward pivoting of the rear roof part where the rear roof part is deposited in an upside down position and the parallel rearward movement of the front roof part onto the rear part, the inner sides of the front and rear roof parts face each other again. With the curvature of the roof parts, the roof parts again enclose an unusable volume and require a relatively large storage space.
DE 44 35 222 C1 discloses a removable vehicle roof comprising a front roof part which is slidable, an intermediate roof part in its open position and a rear roof part with an integrated rear window panel. The rear roof part and the intermediate roof part are coupled to the vehicle body each by a separate operating mechanism. For transforming the vehicle to a cabriolet configuration, first the rear roof part is lifted and displaced forwardly until the rear roof part and the intermediate roof part with the front roof part disposed underneath are arranged on top of one another. In this position, the two roof parts are interlocked and the roof packet formed in this way is moved back into the rear storage compartment. The front roof part is moved into a position below or above the intermediate roof part.
In this arrangement, the intermediate roof part and the rear roof part have their independent operating mechanisms by way of which they are mounted to the vehicle body. However, the arrangement as disclosed cannot provide only for an open convertible configuration.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a hardtop vehicle roof, which can be deposited in a storage compartment with a relatively small storage volume. Furthermore, the roof should be movable to a convertible vehicle configuration, to a Targa configuration and expediently also a Landaulet configuration.